Whalesbook
West Asia Ka Sawaal, India Ki Mehngai!
Yaar, West Asia mein jo security issues chal rahe hain na, uska seedha asar ab India ke leather aur footwear industry par pad raha hai. Shipping routes mein dikkat aa rahi hai, jisse petroleum-based cheezein jaise rubber chemicals, PU leather, adhesives, plastics aur shoe soles mangwana kaafi mehenga ho gaya hai. Kuch reports keh rahi hain ki synthetic leather ke prices already 15% se 20% tak badh chuke hain poori duniya mein.
Ye sab milkar inputs ki costs ko 60% tak pahuncha diya hai. Industry wale keh rahe hain ki yeh supply chain ki problem aur bhi badh gayi hai.
Industry Maang Rahi Hai Govt Se Rahat!
Ab jab situation itni kharab hai, toh industry ne seedha Commerce aur Industry Ministry se madad maangi hai. Unka kehna hai ki Government ko kuchh cheezon par duty free import ki permission deni chahiye. Ismein synthetic leather (PU-coated fabrics), footwear components, metal accessories, machinery, threads, moulds, toe puffs, eyelets aur special leather chemicals shaamil hain. Uske alawa, woh ye bhi keh rahe hain ki FLOAT (FOOTWEAR and Leather Oriented Transformation) scheme ko jaldi se jaldi implement kiya jaaye. Yeh scheme pura support degi, raw material se lekar export tak.
Suppliers Par Zyada Depend Krne Ka Nuksaan
Asal mein, India ka yeh sector kaafi zyada imported cheezon par depend karta hai, mostly China, Korea, Indonesia aur Japan jaise deshon se. Haalanki, recent data bataata hai ki imports thoda kam hue hain, lagbhag 4.49% kam hokar $938 million ho gaye hain, lekin yeh dependence toh abhi bhi ek badi vulnerability hai. Competition mein Vietnam aur China jaise deshon ke paas bade-scale manufacturing aur kam operating costs hain, jisse Indian firms unke barabar price mein compete nahi kar paate.
Industry ka export bhi thoda neeche aaya hai. Leather aur leather products ka exports 2.36% gir kar $4.26 billion ho gaya hai 2025-26 mein. Agar total sector exports ki baat karein, toh yeh $5.6 billion ho sakta hai. Bata India (market cap ~₹25,000 Cr, P/E ~45) aur Relaxo Footwears (market cap ~₹18,000 Cr, P/E ~55) jaise bade players bhi isi competitive environment mein kaam kar rahe hain.
Structure Mein Kami Aur Challenges
Yeh geopolitical shock India ki leather aur footwear supply chain mein pehle se chal rahi kamzoriyon ko aur bhi bahar la raha hai. Jab tak backward integration, domestic raw material development aur technology adoption jaisi cheezon mein reforms nahi honge, tab tak sector ko aise shocks se ladna mushkil hoga.